


Southern Thaw

by MikeJaffa



Category: New Mutants (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24708274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeJaffa/pseuds/MikeJaffa
Summary: Rahne and Illyana take a tentative step towards peace.
Relationships: Illyana Rasputin/Rahne Sinclair
Kudos: 10





	Southern Thaw

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR’s NOTE: I have been frustrated by some lines of dialogue in New Mutants: Dead Souls #2 that indicated Illyana and Rahne had buried the hatchet, but I couldn’t find anything in the comics to show where that had happened. (You’re welcome, Mr. Bezos, for the small fortune I spent on digital and print comics to reconstruct practically every time they could have crossed paths up to then.) But lately I began to wonder if this had been a process that went on for all the time they knew each other. When could this have started? How about when Dani was still in the hospital after the fight with the demon bear? And that leads us into the events of Rom Annual #3, which guest starred the New Mutants. Dani, Doug, and Warlock are all absent, so that tells me this happened before the events of New Mutants #21. So….  
> DISCLAIMER: Marvel owns the New Mutants. Publishing rights to Rom are currently held by IDW, but in the ‘80s Marvel was publishing Rom comics. So a crossover, or a tag for one, is perfectly valid.

The fur on Rahne’s body faded as she shifted from transitional form back to human and quietly opened the back door of Sam’s family house. The teenage mutant had changed just enough to have her special rapport with Dani, still in the hospital back in Salem Center, New York, while Rahne, Illyana, Sam, Roberto, Amara, and the Professor had come down to Kentucky with Sam to visit his family. 

Dressed in pajamas, she crept out of the kitchen across the living room, to where her sleeping bag was next to Illyana’s. She had initially felt uncomfortable about sharing space with the witch but had decided that Illyana had proven herself trustworthy enough over the past few weeks to be given a chance. Rahne hinged her feet out of her slippers, wormed her way into her sleeping bag, and zipped it up. 

“How’s Dani--”

Rahne jerked in the bag at the sound of Illyana’s voice. She felt fingernails change to claws but stopped herself from ripping the bag. 

“Sorry,” Illyana said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Rahne shifted back to human as she hissed, “I thought you were asleep!”

“Are you kidding?” Illyana whispered back. “This week has been an adrenaline roller coaster. I’m still hopped up.”

“Well, if you don’t mind my saying so, I hope next week is quieter.”

“Wasn’t this week supposed to be quiet? ‘Come on down to Kentuky,’” Illyana said, imitating Sam’s southern drawl. “‘You’ll get my mom’s hospitality and it’ll be slower than New York. Ain’t nothin’ going to happen, excepting maybe putting out a forest fire and fighting a monster. Nice and quiet like.’”

Rahne couldn’t help herself. She giggled. “And the professor decided we would fly commercial and rent a car. Just like normal people. Except he had our costumes in his carryon bag. How did he fold them up that much?”

“Unstable molecules, I expect. So how’s Dani doing?”

“Oh, fine.”

“I’ve been wondering if we should do something special for her when she gets out of the hospital. Any ideas?”

“No. You?”

“Nothing.” Illyana rolled away. “But I have another week to think about it.”

“Ok.” It bothered Rahne that Illyana, although newest on the team, seem to have taken charge. But then Dani trusted her, and she had saved them from the demon bear and Hybrid…

“Illyana.”

“Mmm?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Saving Dani.”

Illyana rolled over and looked at Rahne.

Rahne went on, “In spite of me being a wee silly--”

“No, Rahne, you’re not—well, back up—it would have been nice if Sam hadn’t tried to kill me. But there’s nothing silly about your fears. I completely understand why you’re nervous around me and I don’t blame you at all.”

“Still, you came through for us. Thank you.”

Illyana smiled slightly. “You’d do the same for me.”

“You think so?”

“At heart you’re a good person, Rahne. You’d do the right thing.”

“Even though I have a wicked temper? I’m afraid I’m as evil as you.”

Illyana guffawed. “No, just a bit of hothead, even by Scottish standards.”

“Well…I supposed you’re the expert.”

“Unfortunately.” But Illyana smiled anyway. Her head vanished into her sleeping bag. Then she popped out smiling and said, “Hey, what do you make of these things?”

“What things?” Rahne replied.

“The sleeping bags.”

“Um, they’re fine, I suppose.”

“I think they’re amazing.”

“Seriously?”

“Well…Rahne, I grew up in a dimension that was pretty much Lord of the Rings minus the hobbits and other good guys. So anything not out of the middle ages kinda blows me away.”

“Yeah, I suppose they amaze me too, ‘Yana. I’d never seen one before this trip. But I hear girls have, what do they call them, sleeping—no, slumber parties. A bunch of girls in their jammies and some sleeping bags. No boys allowed.”

Illyana looked up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking. Then she grinned and turned back to Rahne. “That’s it!”

“What’s it?”

“That’s what we’ll do for Dani after she gets out of the hospital! We’ll have a slumber party. We’ll take over that big room in the attic, and we’ll invite the townie girls we know. Dani will come home to a huge blowout, a fitting welcome home for our fearless leader. Rahne, you’re a genius!”

“I dunno…I mean what if something happens?”

“Oh, come on! Do you really think something could happen?”

Rahne just stared at Illyana.

“Well, we can manage it,” Illyana said. “Worst case scenario, I whisk our guests to Limbo and wipe their memories. Don’t worry about it.” Illyana turned away and vanished into her bag. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Good night, Rahne.”

Rahne kept looking up at the ceiling. “Yeah. ‘Night, ‘Yana.”

The End


End file.
